Sunday, April 26, 2009

One of the funniest moments of nineties television animation was the musical performance of “Bonjour Lobey” (A parody of “Hello Dolly” superbly sung by actor David Warner as Freakazoid villain “The Lobe”) in “Dexter’s Date”, the Second Season premiere of FREAKAZOID!

One friend of mine (I’ll spare him the public identification) was flat out in the throes of utter hysterics upon seeing this. A moment he and I will never forget.

As detailed in the previous post, FREAKAZOID! Season Two has just been released on DVD – and I wasted no time in queuing up “Dexter’s Date” for a video viewing.

Yes, both “Bonjour Lobey” and the episode as a whole were just as great as they were “back then”.

Skipping ahead, as I often do, to the “Special Features” revealed the audio of the late (and too-soon departed) composer Richard Stone’s original demo tape for “Bonjour Lobey”! Without hesitation, I selected it for play.

Accompanying the audio was the following on-screen text:

We apologize, you’d ordinarily be seeing something really cool here but we ran out of money so please close your eyes and enjoy the magic that is Richard Stone’s original demo for “Bonjour Lobey”.

It was slightly different but, in its “raw form”, no less entertaining than the aired version. And, according to Freakazoid creator Paul Rugg’s Blog comments, it was sung by Mr. Stone, himself – making it an entirely new experience!

Then, after it finished… IT PLAYED AGAIN! It did not return to a menu selection… It just played again!

…AND THEN, IT PLAYED AGAIN!

…AND AGAIN!

It was programmed, not to return to the “Special Features Menu” upon completion… but to CONTINUE PLAYING IN AN ENDLESS LOOP!

The only way out is to click (press) on the “Features” text icon… but, if you don’t do that, it will go on… and on… and on!

Oddly, the more I heard it, the more I enjoyed it… washing dinner dishes, as it played on in the background – and ultimately singing along and parading around the room to its unearthly influence.

…Of course, it’s better if you’re home alone while doing this. No strange looks from your spouse that way!

Isn’t just like the folks behind FREAKAZOID! To take one of their best jokes of 15 years ago, and give it one final new twist for its unsuspecting fans! Bravo! Gotta love it! I can’t help but wonder what that particular “Lobey-loving” friend would think of this!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Today, FREAKAZOID! Season Two was released on DVD to much rejoicing… and pie!

For more information on the show and previous DVD release, read my review of FREAKAZOID! Season OneHERE.

FREAKAZOID! (1995-1997) was a happy anomaly, even among the high-quality, (mostly) all ages fare of the WB Network’s Saturday Morning lineup of the mid-late nineties.

Looking at it today, you could say “It was Family Guy, before there was Family Guy!” Slapstick, verbal humor an adult can enjoy, pop culture references galore, fourth wall breaking, and story-delaying humorous digressions that punctuate almost every episode!

So taken was I with this unique and outstanding animated satire, that it became a major stylistic influence on my freelance scriptwriting for Disney comic books like UNCLE SCROOGE! Watch the show, then read my comics… it’s rather obvious!

When Ben Stein and Hollywood’s Jack Valenti play themselves in episodes – and animated parody guest players range from Rush Limbaugh to Pope John-Paul II, you know you’re out of kiddie territory. Though Pinky and The Brain show up too – as well they should!

Alas, Saturday morning WAS “kiddie territory” and, while at 11 am, FREAKAZOID! preformed well enough to merit renewal, a Second Season shift to 8 AM resulted in its premature cancellation.

But, with this release, we now have the entire series to enjoy over and over again.

So let’s enjoy regular cast voices Ed Asner, late night’s Craig Ferguson, Jonathan Harris of LOST IN SPACE, everyone’s favorite sophisticate Ricardo Montalban, and the incomparable Paul Rugg as Freakazoid for their final 11 episodes.

Finally, how’s this for irony… with this release, we can now say that FREAKAZOID! outlasted the WB Network! I only hope that Jamie Kellner walks through Best Buy this week!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

We’re not in the habit of putting up advertisements at TIAH Blog, but this is just too good! And I just want to be able to watch it over and over myself!

Coming to DVD this summer, from Warner Bros and the legendary Bruce Timm: GREEN LANTERN FIRST FLIGHT!

It looks to be all the excellence you’d expect from Timm in the story of Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), the Guardians of Oa, the Green Lantern Corps, and Sinestro!

In my view, GREEN LANTERN was (and remains) one of the greatest and most original concepts in all of comics – as much Sci-Fi as superhero, and Timm’s version seems to it all proud! Enjoy… and let no evil escape YOUR sight!

Here, for the one and only time, they share a comic book cover – and with Carl Barks’ Donald Duck and Daisy to boot! WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES # 278 Cover Date: November, 1963.

Pete, Mickey, and Goofy are by artist Jack Bradbury, and Guy Williams, as ZORRO, is oddly pictured in black and white – while there are other covers where he appears in color (# 275 and 277).

And, furthering the connection between Williams and Pete, notice they are both “floating heads” while all the other characters are full figures! …We’llleave any deep thoughts to the comic book cover editors out there! Enjoy!